Strictly Oompah: Conrad sighting on the train in 1899!

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Conrad sighting on the train in 1899!

I'm pretty selective with whose feed I see on facebook, focusing primarily on family members and people or organizations that are related to my research. I have a lot of "friends," but only follow a few, just to keep life a bit more simple!

Today, Loras Schissel, who works with the Library of Congress, posted a photo on facebook of a few Sousa Band members playing cards on the train during a tour in 1899. The moment I saw it, I thought, "My goodness, that guy on the left looks like Herman Conrad!" Loras thought so as well. The monster handlebar mustache was one clue, but the face looks right as well.

Here is the world's first Sousaphonist in all of his card-playing glory! I wonder what they were playing, and did the other guy just realize that he won?!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Sousa on the Sousaphone

"The Sousaphone received its name through a suggestion made by me to J. W. Pepper, the instrument manufacturer of Philadelphia, fully 30 odd years ago. At that time, the United States Marine Band of Washington, D. C., of which I was conductor, used a double B-flat bass tuba of circular form know as a 'Helicon.' It was all right enough for street-parade work, but its tone was apt to shoot ahead too prominently and explosively to suit me for concert performances, so I spoke to Mr. Pepper relative to constructing a bass instrument in which the bell would turn upwards and be adjustable for concert purposes. He built one, and grateful to me for the suggestion, called it a Sousaphone. It was immediately taken up by other instrument makers, and is today manufactured in its greatest degree of perfection by the C. G. Conn Company, of Elkhart, Ind." (John Philip Sousa, Christian Science Monitor, August 30, 1922, p. 8)